<Race History | New Zealand Records | Catalog of Anne's Career>

Article by John Clark::::

Anne Audain rates as New Zealand's only woman Commonwealth Games gold medallist on the track, the other three (at the time of writing) were field eventers (Yvette Williams, Val Young and Tania Dixon). She also qualified for six Olympic Games on the track and road. More than that, Audain was a trailblazer, with Lorraine Moller and Alison Roe, led New Zealand, indeed the World, into the brave new world now known as professional athletics. Her career path has taken many different directions but Anne Audain is best remembered for her incredible ability as a road runner and the remarkable winning record she established winning 75 of 122 road races and placing in 90% of them!

Audain was born with bone deformities in her feet. At the age of 13 she had reconstructive surgery that allowed her to concentrate of athletics. The benefits were immediate and at 17 years of age, Anne Audain was running for New Zealand at the 1973 World Cross Country Championships where she placed ninth against the World's best senior women.

She had been selected to compete for the New Zealand Under 23 team in Australia in 1973 but withdrew.

After her excellent track performances, Audain ran the 1500m at the Christchurch Games in early 1974 placing fourth in her heat in a personal best of 4m 19.1s and sixth, and top New Zealander, in the final with 4m 21.1s.

In 1975, she ran the New Zealand Games in Christchurch in January finishing third in the 3000m before a second attempt at the World Cross Country Championships where her New Zealand women's team finished second in the teams event - Audain's first major international success. She finished 10th in the individual event. A month later, Audain was competing in the RH North Cup event against New South Wales, her only experience of this now defunct competition.

The Montreal Olympic Games, Audain's first as a competitor, loomed large in 1976. She was selected for the 800m / 1500m double and, although failing to get past the heats, Audain, once again, showed fighting spirit. Her run in the 800m was one of her fastest at 2m 05.78s but in the 1500m she ran the fastest time ever by a New Zealander - 4m 10.68s - beating the time put up by teammate Dianne Rodger six months earlier. Twice Audain had run at major Games and twice she had put up her best times.

The following year, Anne Audain was selected for the World Cross Country Championships finishing ninth and top New Zealander again, and the Oceania team for the World Cup where she ran eighth in the 1500m. Both events were held in Dusseldorf.

Two years later, she competed at her fourth World Cross Country Championships and for the third time, was top New Zealand finisher. She was later selected for the World Cup in Montreal.

Audain has long been considered New Zealand's best allround long distance runner but until this time, major track and field meetings had only included the 1500m. The New Zealand Games in 1975 had included a 3000m, an inspired decision. In 1980 things began to change. Audain competed in the World 3000m Championship held in Sittard, Holland in August but was not at her best due to illness.

In 1981, she ran her final World Cross Country and later that year ran on the US road circuit where she had immediate success winning the Cascade Runoff 15km in Portland Oregon. She made a stand accepting prizemoney and was subsequently banned from racing by the IAAF and IOC. With assistance from her sponsor Nike and the new trust fund system, she was reinstated in 1982 and enjoyed a particularly successful year on the track.

In March, running her first 5000m track race, Audain broke Paula Fudge's inaugural World record by over a second at Mt Smart Stadium. A little over six months later she won gold at Brisbane running the fastest 3000m race of her life, a time that is still the fastest by a New Zealander - 8m 45.53s.

She was selected for the World Championships in Helsinki but withdrew because of injury. Later she ran the fastest debut marathon ever in finishing fourth in Chicago with 2hr 32m 14s.

1984 saw the introduction of the women's marathon to the Olympic Games and Audain was there running it although she did not finish the race.

A huge achievement in New Zealand athletics was the winning of the World Challenge Relay in Hiroshima in 1986 and Audain was a member of that very successful New Zealand team. Earlier, in Edinburgh for the Commonwealth Games, she finished second with a personal best and New Zealand record of 31m 53.3s in the 10000m. With a gold and silver medal to her credit, Audain rates, along with javelin thrower Mike O'Rourke, as New Zealand's most successful athlete of the last 20 years at the Commonwealth Games.

In 1987, Audain withdrew from the World Championships and the following year finished 11th at the Olympic Games over 10000m in 32m 10.47 after running 32m 10.73s (!) in the heat - remarkable consistency.

The Auckland Commonwealth Games was Audain's swansong. She ran the 0000m and finished 11th in 33m 40.13s, a disappointing finish to the career of one of New Zealand's greatest athletes.

Since 1990, Anne Audain has changed direction again and become a very successful business woman in the United States. She became a US Citizen in 1995. Her most successful venture has been the remarkable Idaho Womens Fitness Celebration 5K Run / Walk / Stroll. (www.celebrateall.org)

Anne Audain was awarded a New Zealand 1990 Medal and is featured on NIKE's Walkway of Fame at the international headquarters in Oregon.

Profile by John Clark

This page was reprinted with permission of John Clark & Athletics New Zealand.